How Exactly Did Italian Beef Become Such A Chicago Icon?
NEWS
By ELIAS NASH
Chicago locals will tell you that Italian beef is the city's true signature dish. It has won hearts across the Windy City as an emblem of Italian-American history.
Though there are some competing theories regarding its origin, a street vendor who sold cold sandwiches after WWI named Anthony Ferreri is most credited for creating Italian beef.
His big break came after he attended a peanut wedding, small-budget weddings held by Italian American families during the Great Depression that served peanuts and beef sandwiches.
The beef sandwiches at these weddings contained thicker slices. Ferreri realized that if he sliced it thinner, he could get more sandwiches out of it and feed a bigger crowd.
However, many believe that it was Pasquale Scala who invented Italian beef, whose story happens to be very similar to Ferreri's. It's impossible to say which origin story is true.
